While heavyweight James Toney launched into a profane diatribe against his opponent in a recent conference call, featherweights Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero and Eric "Mighty Mouse" Aiken were nothing but respectful toward one another during their time on the speakerphone.

Maybe that's the difference between the heavyweights and featherweights who will fill out Saturday's fight card at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in a night of boxing on Showtime.

Toney called Samuel Peter bad names while Guerrero and Aiken gave each other a nod for his devout faith.

"I don't personally know 'The Ghost,' " Aiken said of the popular Gilroy fighter. "We have a spiritual bond. We're both born-again Christians."

Still, each man is looking to pound or at least outpoint the other to gain a decision in this 12-round bout between 126-pounders. Aiken (16-4, 12 KOs) of Marysville, Ohio, is the International Boxing Federation featherweight champion and this is his first defense. For Guerrero (18-1-1, 11 KOs) this is his first shot at a title.

"I've been paying my dues," Guerrero, 23, said. "This title shot is overdue. I've been ready for quite a while. I'm excited about getting this opportunity."

Guerrero, who is training in the Los Angeles area and figures to have the Staples Center crowd on his side, lost his only fight to Gamaliel Diaz in December of last year. "The Ghost" made the most of the rematch and atoned for his lone defeat by knocking out Diaz earlier this year.

The only boasting done by either featherweight came when Guerrero was asked for his prediction on the fight, a question that Aiken deferred "until Sept. 2nd."

" '... And the new IBF featherweight champion of the world ...' " Guerrero said, intoning like a ring announcer.

Lapsing back into more measured tones, Guerrero said, "Fighting at Staples Center, it's one of the greatest venues around. I can't wait. There's a lot of stuff that caught my eye (in analyzing) Aiken and you'll find out on Sept. 2nd. He's a tough fighter; he comes to fight. He's never trained harder (than he has) for this fight."

Aiken said as much and admitted he has not always been as committed to the sweet science as he is now at 26.

"I do feel underrated," he said. "That doesn't bother me. I know what strengths I have and what weaknesses I have. All that underrated stuff will go out the window on Sept. 2nd. I'm absolutely mentally prepared."

It seems a stretch to suggest the world champion, or one version of such, would consider himself underrated, but that's the way Aiken is playing it.

"It's been a long time coming," he said. "Sometimes I still feel like a regular human being, which I am, but I'm still humble. Every once in a while I realize, 'Wow, I'm a world champion.' "

Guerrero, meanwhile, seems determined to make the most of this shot at the IBF championship, saying, "I've been waiting for this since I was 9 years old."

As for the heavyweight (190-plus pounds) portion of the card, it's a WBC elimination fight. Either the 38-year-old Toney (69-4-3, 43 KOs) of Ann Arbor, Mich., or 25-year-old Peter (26-1, 22 KOs) of Nigeria will earn the right to face heavyweight champion Oleg Maskaev of Kazakhstan in a title bout.

"I will take your ass out," was the least offensive thing Toney said to Peter.

In what can only be explained as "that's television," Showtime will carry the card live at 10 p.m. Eastern time and delayed at 10 p.m. Pacific time, even though the show is emanating in the Pacific time zone.